ABSTRACT
Safe foods
are those that do not cause any harm after their consumption. Food safety and
its relationship with public health are of major concern to many people, especially, because of foods susceptibility to
contamination. Literature on local foods addressed the biological processes of
ingredients used in their preparation, and the nutritional, physical and safety
aspects of foods. Generally, most food vendors and consumers were not concerned
about hygienic practices but instead, about the social relations established between them
and the aesthetics, the appearance and presentation of food. People do not take
food risks seriously since they have several ways of dealing with it. They have
different perceptions of food quality and safety. However, hygienic practices must go along with
the different perceptions to achieve safety in street-vended local foods. Literature
is limited on how actors define safety so that there is continue patronage of street
foods in urban areas despite the concerns raised regarding vendors’ unhygienic
practices. Using three street-vended local foods, Hausa Koko, Waakye and Ga Kenkey as case study, with qualitative
and quantitative methods, this paper aimed to provide an understanding of how
actors within the street-vended local food systems perceived safety. The study
found several definitions of food safety, which showed the multidimensional
nature and quality characteristics from key actors. Food safety was perceived in
relation to the long processes of cooking; the fact that foods were served and
eaten hot; the hygienic environments where foods were prepared and served; and
when food eaten did not give any adverse after-effect. Despite these positive
dimensions about food safety, some actors’ raised some negative concerns. These
different dimensions of safety and the activities of all involved in the
system, such as regulatory officers, consumers, and food vendors themselves,
interact to construct the safety of street-vended local foods in Ghana.